AUGUST 2017

Counterfeit goods are big business; $460 billion worth of fake merchandise was bought and sold in 2016, according to the International Trademark Association, with sneakers, luxury handbags, electronics, and sunglasses among the most popular items. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit goods are big business; $460 billion worth of fake merchandise was bought and sold in 2016, according to the International Trademark Association, with sneakers, luxury handbags, electronics, and sunglasses among the most popular items. READ MORE>>>

The ECD Police force and the Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Navy Region 3 visited the reported location and found 293 items including handbags, purses and belts, all imitations of luxury brand names such as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermes which belonged to Lam. READ MORE>>>

Chinese counterfeits are costing Korean manufacturers up to US$7.2 billion a year, according to a report published by Business Korea. The country’s Office of Patent Administration found nearly 65,000 Chinese counterfeits of Korean products on popular e-commerce site Alibaba in 2016, hitting sales to the tune of KRW8 trillion. READ MORE>>>

Mumbai: The brand licensing industry, now in its “nascent stage” in India, is set to grow manifold in the foreseeable future with rising brand consciousness among consumers and higher penetration of modern retail and e-commerce, industry experts said.READ MORE>>>

The inability to buy hyped streetwear brands in South Korea has fuelled one of the world’s most sophisticated markets for counterfeit goods, according to a new documentary from Highsnobiety. READ MORE>>>

Nearly 1,000 cases of counterfeit Budweiser and Corona beer manufactured in China have been destroyed by local authorities in Cambodia, following a complaint from the two brands’ sole distributor in the southeastern Asian country. READ MORE>>>

Less than a month after Venice launched its #EnjoyRespectVenezia campaign aimed at changing tourist behaviour through fines, encouragement and a little bit of public shaming, Florence has followed suit. READ MORE>>>

KOTA KINABALU: Consumers in Sabah have been advised to report traders selling counterfeit goods in the market to enable the state chapter of the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry (KPDNKK) to take action against them. READ MORE>>>

Singapore said that a 34-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly selling fake luxury watches online. This latest arrest comes in a crack down on those who sell counterfeit products on the internet. READ MORE>>>

With excitement building over the solar eclipse set to take place on Aug. 21, anyone looking to view the rare phenomenon will need a pair of special eclipse glasses to avoid the harmful effects of staring directly at the sun. READ MORE>>>

ST. LOUIS • A federal indictment handed down this week accuses a man of selling “large quantities” of fake Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and other apparel that would be worth $250,000 if real. READ MORE>>>

The European Commission will not block member states’ attempts to sue China over its use of counterfeit trademarks and has insisted a future bilateral deal with the Asian superpower will bring “significant benefits” for Europe’s quality food producers. READ MORE>>>

On the most recent episode of Kylie Jenner‘s reality show Life of Kylie, she heads to Los Angeles‘ Santee Alley where she finds tables full of counterfeit make-up with her brand’s label on the boxes. READ MORE>>>

The European Commission will not block member states’ attempts to sue China over its use of counterfeit trademarks and has insisted a future bilateral deal with the Asian superpower will bring “significant benefits” for Europe’s quality food producers. READ MORE>>>

When it comes to the company’s Galaxy Note line, it seems that Samsung just can’t catch a break. Even those living under a rock knew about the Galaxy Note 7 saga, which Samsung seemingly bounced back from with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. However, memories from that confusing and messy era have resurfaced with today’s recall of over 10,000 Galaxy Note 4 batteries. READ MORE>>>

In recent months while screening samples of heroin they had acquired on the street, British police discovered a drug whose appearance they had been dreading — fentanyl, the dangerously strong painkiller that killed Prince and gained a foothold as part of the American opioid epidemic. READ MORE>>>

The sale of branded goods can be a complicated affair, especially when the line between counterfeits and ‘authorized’ goods can be blurry at times. This is highlighted in the sale of ‘grey goods’, which are items obtained from licenced manufacturers without the authorisation of the licensor. Having discussed the criminality of the sale of grey goods last year (more here), the decision of the Court of Appeal was appealed by the defendants, ultimately ending up on the desk of the Supreme Court, which handed down its judgment in early August. READ MORE>>>

Mexican authorities swept through 31 resorts, restaurants and nightclubs in Cancun and Playa del Carmen in recent days, suspending operations at two for unsanitary alcohol and in the process discovered a sketchy manufacturer that was supplying tourist hot spots. READ MORE>>>

AKADEMGORODOK, Russia—Dmitri Trubitsyn is a young physicist-entrepreneur with a patriotic reputation, seen in this part of Siberia as an exemplar of the talents, dedication and enterprise that President Vladimir Putin has hailed as vital for Russia’s future economic health. READ MORE>>>

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – An 81-year-old Maryland woman was arrested for trying to use counterfeit tickets in an attempt to go on a ride at a boardwalk amusement park at Rehoboth Beach, according to police. READ MORE>>>

The owner and five associates of CoinOpStore, a Santa Clara classic arcade machine company, have been charged with making and selling counterfeit video games that include Galaga, Tank Battalion and at least five iterations of Pac-Man, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. READ MORE>>>

BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At its Brand Rights Holders Day in Beijing, Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) today unveiled enhancements to its Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) Platform. In the first month since the “express” technology enhancements were made, almost all cases submitted by rights holders were handled and closed within 24 hours, among which more than 80% of the listings were also taken down. READ MORE>>>

The Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA) has impounded packages of unregistered and counterfeit cancer medicines that are being sold in the Ugandan market.Donna Asiimwe Kusemererwa, the NDA executive secretary, said the impounded counterfeit drugs were smuggled into Uganda from China. READ MORE>>>

The National Drug Authority has issued an alert over two counterfeit cancer drugs being sold on the Ugandan market after impounding some of them from a hawker near the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI). READ MORE>>>

Members of the Finance Ministry’s Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) seized hundreds of bootleg goods from a private property in Nea Philadelphia, northeastern Athens, according to a statement released on Wednesday. READ MORE>>>

If you were hoping to watch this month’s total solar eclipse, you probably know sunglasses aren’t going to cut it. But if you bought special eye wear to witness the big event, you may want to check them again. READ MORE>>>

If you were hoping to watch this month’s total solar eclipse, you probably know sunglasses aren’t going to cut it. But if you bought special eye wear to witness the big event, you may want to check them again. READ MORE>>>

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations officers working at the International Falls Port of Entry (POE) recently targeted a rail container destined for the Ranier POE. In early August, CBP officers inspected the container and discovered merchandise that violated multiple laws and regulations.READ MORE>>>

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) enthusiastically declared that it will release a “luxury pavilion” for high-end products within its popular Tmall marketplace”. The launch of the portal, which should occur by the end of the year, is part of Alibaba’s aim to entice more brands to sell on its marketplace. READ MORE>>>

The China Association of Plastics and Aesthetics has revealed that it believes 70 percent of the country’s Botox and hyaluronic acid, a type of dermal filler, to be either counterfeit or smuggled into China illegally, Sixth Tone’s sister publication The Paper reported Friday. READ MORE>>>

A bowl of ice cream on a hot day in Shanghai gave American Mitchell Weinberg the worst bout of food poisoning he can recall. It also inspired the then-trade consultant to set up Inscatech — a global network of food spies. READ MORE>>>

Beware of prescription medications bought on the street — that’s the warning from police and the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy after a flurry of overdose calls Thursday into Friday READ MORE>>>

There’s a new kind of “short-sheeting,” and instead of a practical joke, this kind is an international crime. In March, the U.S. International Trade Commission found that foreign sheet manufacturers were shorting consumers on thread counts. In response, the ITC issued a general exclusion order banning companies from importing sheets with inflated thread counts. READ MORE>>>

In May, Vitaliy Fedorchuk of Antelope, Calif., pleaded guilty to five counts of mail fraud for selling counterfeit airbags on eBay and other websites. Fedorchuk, who is scheduled for sentencing in October, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. READ MORE>>>

Barnes & Noble Education has joined an alliance of publishers and distributors taking steps to stop the sale of illegally copied textbooks. The company said in a news release that it would be adopting a set of Anti-Counterfeit Best Practices to ensure it only distributes authentic materials. READ MORE>>>